The archaeologist Conrad Engelhardt excavated two complete Iron Age boats and parts of a third at the Nydam Bog site in the years 1859-63. The boats from Nydam remain, 130 years after their discovery, amongst the most significant information sources in developing understanding of the Nordic ship building tradition.
In particular, the 23 metre long oak boat, commonly known as ”the Nydam Boat”, maintains a distinguished position amongst Danish Iron Age finds, as it is the oldest known rowing vessel in northern Europe. The Nydam Boat is the largest and best preserved of the boats found in Nydam Bog. The boat is displayed at Gottorp Castle in Slesvig (see the above picture). It once weighed over three tonnes and was rowed by thirty men.
In 1997 two 1.3 meter long wooden posts carved with male faces were found in the area where the bow of the Nydam Boat had lain. The figureheads are approximately 40 cm high. It is presumed that they were part of the bow of the Nydam Boat. They were possibly mounted upon the gunwale as a deterrent to enemies. Their specific purpose has not yet been determined.
The other ship Engelhardt found in the bog was made of pine. In common with the Nydam Boat, the pine ship had been scuttled. The ship was unfortunately lost during World War I.
It was a great day in the Nydam excavations when the entire rudder from the pine ship appeared out of the peat in 1993. The rudder has a total length of 1.8 meters. The rudder blade has a thickness of 5-7 cm, and a width of approximately 0.5 metres at its widest point. A beautifully formed handle is fastened to the top of the rudder by means of wooden pins and wedges.
Only fragments of the third boat were found. Like the Nydam Boat, it is made of oak. It is known as the “cut up” oaken boat, because it bears the scars of ritual destruction. About one-fifth of the boat has been found. The remainder of the boat is still lying in the bog.
The finds were confiscated in the peace treaty following the war of 1864, which is why they are to be found in Germany today. Only one of the two intact boats, the Nydam Boat, has been preserved and restored. It can be viewed at the Gottorp Castle Museum in Slesvig, where it is accompanied by a display of the weaponry finds.
